CBSE Class-12 Chemistry Quick Revision Notes

Chapter-16: Chemistry in Everyday Life

Drugs:
Drugs are low molecular mass substances which interact with targets in the body and
produce a biological response.
Medicines:
Medicines are chemicals that are useful in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases
Therapeutic effect:
Desirable or beneficial effect of a drug like treatment of symptoms and cure of a disease on a
living body is known as therapeutic effect
Enzymes
Proteins which perform the role of biological catalysts in the body are called enzymes
Functions of enzymes:
(i) The first function of an enzyme is to hold the substrate for a chemical reaction. Active
sites of enzymes hold the substrate molecule in a suitable position, so that it can be attacked
by the reagent effectively.
(ii) The second function of an enzyme is to provide functional groups that will attack the
substrate and carry out chemical reaction.
Role of drugs:
Main role of drugs is to either increase or decrease role of enzyme catalysed reactions.
Inhibition of enzymes is a common role of drug action.
Enzyme inhibitor:
Enzyme inhibitor is drug which inhibits catalytic activity of enzymes or blocks the binding
site of the enzyme and eventually prevents the binding of substrate with enzyme.
Drug can inhibit attachment of substrate on active site of enzymes in following ways:
(a)
Competitive Inhibition: Competitive Inhibitors are the drugs that compete with the
natural substrate for their attachment on the active sites of enzymes.

(b)

Non-Competitive Inhibition: Some drugs do not bind to the enzymes active site,
instead bind to a different site of enzyme called allosteric site. This binding of
inhibitor at allosteric site changes the shape of the active site in such a way that
substrate cannot recognise it. If the bond formed between an enzyme and an
inhibitor is a strong covalent bond and cannot be broken easily, then the enzyme is
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blocked permanently. The body then degrades the enzyme-inhibitor complex and
synthesizes the new enzyme.

Receptors:
Proteins which are vital for communication system in the body are called receptors.
Receptors show selectivity for one chemical messenger over the other because their binding
sites have different shape, structure and amino acid composition.
Receptors as Drug Targets:
In the body, message between two neurons and that between neurons to muscles is
communicated through chemical messengers. They are received at the binding sites of
receptor proteins. To accommodate a messenger, shape of the receptor site changes which
brings about the transfer of message into the cell. Chemical messenger gives message to the
cell without entering the cell.

Antagonists and Agonists:

Drugs that bind to the receptor site and inhibit its natural function are called antagonists.
These are useful when blocking of message is required. Drugs that mimic the natural
messenger by switching on the receptor are called agonists. These are useful when there is
lack of natural chemical messenger.
Therapeutic action of different classes of drugs:
Antacid: Chemical substances which neutralize excess acid in the gastric juices and
(i)
give relief from acid indigestion, acidity, heart burns and gastric ulcers. Examples:
Eno, gelusil, digene etc.
(ii)
Antihistamines: Chemical substances which diminish or abolish the effects of
histamine released in body and hence prevent allergic reactions. Examples:
Brompheniramine (Dimetapp) and terfenadine (Seldane).
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(iii)

Neurologically Active Drugs: Drugs which have a neurological effect i.e. affects the
message transfer mechanism from nerve to receptor.
Tranquilizers: Chemical substances used for the treatment of stress and mild
or severe mental diseases. Examples: Derivatives of barbituric acids like
veronal, amytal, nembutal, luminal, seconal.
Analgesics: Chemical substances used to relieve pain without causing any
disturbances in the nervous system like impairment of consciousness, mental
confusion, incoordination or paralysis etc.
Classification of Analgesics:
a) Non-narcotic analgesics: They are non-addictive drugs. Examples: Aspirin,
Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Dichlofenac Sodium.
b) Narcotic analgesics: When administered in medicinal doses, these drugs relieve
pain and produce sleep. Examples: Morphine and its derivatives
(iv) Antimicrobials:
Drugs that tends to destroy/prevent development or inhibit the pathogenic action of
microbes such as bacteria (antibacterial drugs), fungi (antifungal agents), virus
(antiviral agents), or other parasites (antiparasitic drugs) selectively.
Antifertility Drugs:
(v)
Chemical substances used to prevent conception or fertilization are called antifertility
drugs. Examples - Norethindrone, ethynylestradiol (novestrol).
Types of antimicrobial drugs :
(a) Antibiotics:
Chemical substances produced by microorganisms that kill or prevent the growth of other
microbes.
Classification of antimicrobial drugs based on the mode of control of microbial diseases:
a) Bactericidal drugs - Drugs that kills organisms in body. Examples - Penicillin,
Aminoglycosides, Ofloxacin.
b) Bacteriostatic drugs - Drugs that inhibits growth of organisms. Examples - Erythromycin,
Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol.
Classification of antimicrobial drugs based on its spectrum of action:
a) Broad spectrum antibiotics - Antibiotics which kill or inhibit a wide range of Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria are called broad spectrum antibiotics. Examples Ampicillin and Amoxycillin.
b) Narrow spectrum antibiotics - Antibiotics which are effective mainly against Grampositive or Gram-negative bacteria are called narrow spectrum antibiotics. ExamplesPenicillin G.
c) Limited spectrum antibiotics - Antibiotics effective against a single organism or disease
(b) Antiseptics:
Chemical substances that kill or prevent growth of microorganisms and can be applied on living
tissues such as cuts, wounds etc., are called antispetics. Examples - Soframicine, dettol etc.
(c) Disinfectants:

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Chemical substances that kill microorganisms but cannot be applied on living tissues such as
cuts, wounds etc., are called disinfectants. Examples - Chlorine (Cl2), bithional, iodoform etc.
Food additives:
Food additives are the substances added to food to preserve its flavour orimprove its taste
and appearance.
Different types of food additives:
a) Artificial Sweetening Agents: Chemical compounds which gives sweetening effect to the
food and enhance its flavour. Examples - Aspartame, Sucrolose and Alitame.
b) Food preservatives: Chemical substances which are added to food material to prevent
their spoilage due to microbial growth. Examples - Sugar, Salts, Sodium benzoate
c) Food colours: Substances added to food to increase the acceptability and attractiveness
of the food product. Examples - Allura Red AC, Tartrazine
d) Nutritional supplements: Substances added to food to improve the nutritional value.
Examples - Vitamins, minerals etc.
e) Fat emulsifiers and stabilizing agents: Substances added to food products to give texture
and desired consistency. Examples - Egg yolk (where the main emulsifying chemical is
Lecithin)
f) Antioxidants :Substances added to food to prevent oxidation of food materials. Examples
- Butylated Hydroxy Toluene (BHT), Butylated Hydroxy Anisole (BHA).
Soaps:
It is a sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids like stearic, oleic and palmitic acid.

This reaction is known as saponification.

Types of soaps:
a) Toilet soaps are prepared by using better grades of fats and oils and care is taken to
remove excess alkali. Colour and perfumes are added to make these more attractive.
b) Transparent soaps are made by dissolving the soap in ethanol and then evaporating the
excess solvent.
c) In medicated soaps, substances of medicinal value are added. In some soaps, deodorants
are added.
d) Shaving soaps contain glycerol to prevent rapid drying. A gum called, rosin is added
while making them. It forms sodium rosinate which lathers well.
e) Laundry soaps contain fillers like sodium rosinate, sodium silicate, borax and sodium
carbonate.
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f) Soaps that float in water are made by beating tiny air bubbles before their hardening.
g) Soap chips are made by running a thin sheet of melted soap onto a cool cylinder and
scraping off the soaps in small broken pieces.
h) Soap granules are dried miniature soap bubbles.
i) Soap powders and scouring soaps contain some soap, a scouring agent (abrasive) such
as powdered pumice or finely divided sand, and builders like sodium carbonate and
trisodium phosphate.
Advantages of using soaps:
Soap is a good cleansing agent and is 100% biodegradable i.e., micro- organisms present in
sewage water can completely oxidize soap. Therefore, soaps do not cause any pollution
problems.
Disadvantages of using soaps:
Soaps cannot be used in hard water because hard water containsmetal ions like Ca2+ and
Mg2+ which react with soap to form white precipitate of calcium and magnesium salts

2C17 H 35COONa + CaCl2 2 NaCl + (C17 H 35COO)2 Ca

Soap

Insoluble calcium
stearate (soap)

2C17 H 35COONa + MgCl2 2 NaCl + (C17 H 35COO) 2 Mg

Soap

Insoluble magnesium
stearate (soap)

These precipitates stick to the fibres of the cloth as gummy mass and block the ability of soaps
to remove oil and grease from fabrics. Therefore, it interferes with the cleansing ability of the
soap and makes the cleansing process difficult.
In acidic medium, the acid present in solution precipitate the insoluble free fatty acids which
adhere to the fabrics and hence block the ability of soaps to remove oil and grease from the
fabrics. Hence soaps cannot be used in acidic medium
Detergents:
Detergents are sodium salts of long chain of alkyl benzene sulphonic acids or sodium salts of
long chain of alkyl hydrogen sulphates.

Classification of detergents:
(a)Anionic detergents:
Anionic detergents are sodium salts of sulphonated long chain alcohols or hydrocarbons. Alkyl
hydrogensulphates formed by treating long chain alcohols with concentrated sulphuric acid are
neutralised with alkali to form anionic detergents. Similarly alkyl benzene sulphonates are
obtained by neutralising alkyl benzene sulphonic acids with alkali. Anionic detergents are
termed so because a large part of molecule is an anion.

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H 2 SO4
NaOH ( aq )
CH 3 (CH 2 )10 CH 2OH
CH 3 (CH 2 )10 CH 2OSO3 H
CH 3 (CH 2 )10 CH 2OS O3 N a
Lauryl alcohol

Lauryl hydrogensulphate

Sodium lauylsulphate
(Anionic detergent)

They are used in household cleaning like dishwasher liquids, laundry liquid detergents,
laundry powdered detergents etc. They are effective in slightly acidic solutions where soaps do
not work efficiently.
(b)Cationic detergents: Cationic detergents are quarternary ammonium salts of amines with
acetates, chlorides or bromides as anions. Cationic parts possess a long hydrocarbon chain and
a positive charge on nitrogen atom. Cationic detergents are termed so because a large part of
molecule is a cation. Since they possess germicidal properties, they are used as germicides.
They has strong germicidal action, but are expensive.

(c) Non- ionic detergents: They do not contain any ion in their constitution. They are like esters
of high molecular mass.
Example: Detergent formed by condensation reaction between stearic acid reacts and
polyethyleneglycol.
H 2O
CH 3 (CH 2 )16 COOH + HO (CH 2CH 2O ) n CH 2CH 2OH
CH 3 (CH 2 )16 COO (CH 2CH 2O ) n CH 2CH 2OH
Stearic acid

Polyethyleneglycol

It is used in Making liquid washing detergents. They have effective H- bonding groups at one
end of the alkyl chain which make them freely water soluble.
Biodegradable detergents:
Detergents having straight hydrocarbon chains that are easily decomposed by
microorganisms. Example: Sodium lauryl sulphate

CH 3 (CH 2 )10 CH 2OS O3 N a

Sodium laurylsulphate

Non-Biodegradable detergents:
Detergents having branched hydrocarbon chains that are not easily decomposed by
microorganisms

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